It’s that time of year again! Even if you live in a place where fall isn’t really a thing (sorry, Southern Californians), the pumpkin spice gods are here to let you at least pretend. That’s right. The PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) is back. Time for cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and general fall feels.
America’s Favorite Seasonal Drink
Since the PSL first graced Starbucks lines in 2003, it’s beaten the Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog Lattes to become America’s all-time favorite seasonal Starbucks drink, and launched a nationwide trend of pumpkin spice items, from M&Ms to candles and air fresheners.
But did you know the original Pumpkin Spice Latte didn’t even include pumpkin in the ingredients? Yep – and it seems people loved it regardless since small amounts of pumpkin puree weren’t added to the drink until about 12 years later, in 2015.
Bring the Pumpkin Spice Home
If you can’t get enough of the PSL, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Luckily you can enjoy all kinds of treats with that signature pumpkin spice flavor this fall. For folks who love to roll up their sleeves and get into DIY mode, we’ve got something special: five recipes for pumpkin spice candy you can try right now!
1. Pumpkin Spice Latte Bark
We’ll start off with a sweeter-than-sweet pumpkin spice candy recipe from Relish. If you love your sweets to come with a bit of a bite, this one’s for you.
What You’ll Need
12 ounces white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
Double boiler
Silicone baking mat
Since you get to freeze the bark solid and then break it up to make smaller candy pieces, this is a great sensory baking activity to get the kids involved in. Find the full recipe and instructions for Pumpkin Spice Bark here.
2. Pumpkin Spice Toffee
We’re not done with crunch-tastic candies just yet! The best thing about the Pumpkin Spice Toffee from Sally’s Baking Addiction is the texture, as the flat toffee squares are dotted with crunchy, delicious pecans to bite into once the toffee has melted in your mouth.
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups (150g) chopped unsalted pecans
1 cup (2 sticks; 230g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup (120g) warm water
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (215g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 and ¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
6 ounces (170g) quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Okay, so truffles might cross the border between candy and baked goods, but these Pumpkin Spice Truffles from The Spruce Eats are just so adorable, we couldn’t resist. This recipe lets you break out your artistic skills to create actual pumpkin-shaped truffles!
This is such an easy recipe; it almost seems too good to be true. As long as you can find some pumpkin sprinkles to take the presentation up a notch, you end up with a deceptively simple candy that packs a seriously sweet punch.
If you’re up for a bit of a challenge (no pun intended), the pumpkin caramel recipe from Challenge Dairy is a perfect choice. Getting the butter and sugar mixture to just the right temperature and texture may not be an intro-level candy-making task, but if you can manage it, you’ll end up with a delicious classic candy with a fall twist.
What You’ll Need
½ cup (1 stick) butter (salted)
1½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup light corn syrup
1⅓ cup (14 oz. can) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup 100% Pumpkin puree
Get the rest of the recipe here. Whether you’re prepping for a candy-fueled Halloween party or want to put a fresh spin on this year’s Thanksgiving desserts, we hope these pumpkin spice candy recipes get you inspired. And don’t forget to check out our other recipes for sweet eats – we’ve got some for every occasion.
Major players include cinnamic aldehydes for cinnamon, eugenol for clove or allspice, terpenes such as sabinene for nutmeg, and zingiberene for ginger. By themselves, however, spice compounds won't create an appealing food flavor.
Two Krieger School perception researchers say a key to understanding why people love pumpkin spice is the smell of it. Those notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger trigger deeply rooted cozy memories of autumn.
People's obsession with pumpkin spice is an intriguing psychological occurrence. The taste of pumpkin spice may be desirable due to its scarcity, as it's only available during the fall. In addition to flavor and taste, pumpkin spice can also create nostalgia.
You can honestly call this famous Mexican candy iconic. Pumpkins are native to Mexico, and the oldest domesticated pumpkin seeds were discovered by archaeologists in the Oaxaca Highlands of Mexico and dated to over 7,500 years ago.
Pumpkin pie spice is the same as pumpkin spice, just under different labeling. These two are interchangeable and feature the same base ingredients. The ratio of the ingredients may vary slightly from brand to brand.
Well, you may be surprised that there is no pumpkin in the pumpkin spice flavor. According to Food and Wine, pumpkin spice is the seasoning that can flavor pumpkin pie. This seasoning blend usually consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. This spice blend has been around for a very long time.
The spices in pumpkin spice have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help to reduce chronic inflammation. Boosts the immune system: Some of the spices in pumpkin spice, such as ginger and cloves, have immune-boosting properties. This means that they may help to protect your body from infection.
What makes it "work" might be its associations with emotions and memories, possibly evoking holiday times, family get togethers, cooking with our parents or grandparents. It has become a tradition and traditional favorites evoke positive emotions and memories that reinforce their consumption.
Experts say the taste and smell trigger a nostalgic emotional response in the brain. In other words, if the pumpkin spice blend -- or a synthetic version -- that has been added to your favorite food item reminds you of a baking pumpkin pie at grandma's house, then it likely did its job.
In 1675 the first recipe to call for the mix of pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon known today as pumpkin spice was used. The four spices can also be combined with ginger and all spice depending on where you live. A company known to prepackage these spices in a handy shaker started doing so in the late 1930's.
"Pumpkin spice" is actually a blend of spices commonly used in pumpkin pie recipes. It typically includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. While it doesn't contain actual pumpkin, it's named after the spices that are traditionally associated with pumpkin-flavored dishes.
Executives at Starbucks tasked product manager Peter Dukes with developing a popular fall seasonal drink, which after much tinkering and doubt (the concept actually rated low in customer survey popularity!) was honed into the pumpkin spice latte we know today and, here, our story really begins.
The appeal of the mellowcreme pumpkin begins with the texture. They're soft and dense like marzipan on the inside with a just-hard-enough outer shell. Then there's the taste, which seems like pure honey despite honey being near the bottom of the ingredient list. It's truly amazing what corn syrup can do!
What Is In Canned Pumpkin? You may have heard that canned pumpkin is actually made of squash. That is both true and untrue. Libby's, the quintessential canned pumpkin brand, uses a proprietary strain of the Dickinson pumpkin variety in their product, which is also often called a Dickinson squash.
Its flesh is orange-yellow. It is sometimes categorized as a "cheese pumpkin," but this has nothing to do with its flavor. Rather, the term refers to any pumpkins whose flat shape somewhat resembles wheels of cheese. Fairytale pumpkins also go by the names Musquée de Provence, Moscata di Provenza, and Castilla squash.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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